Tangled Heartstrings | Severus Snape X Reader

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November. Quidditch season. The ground is layered with frost in the mornings and the jackets and jumpers have come out. Even the lake is steadily freezing over.

The last couple of months have been extremely exhausting. Teaching is as just as rewarding as it is tiring. Even the whole fiasco with the troll Halloween night was just a background thought as all I could think about was work.

I haven't talked to my colleagues much as I've been so engrossed with my teachings, but I haven't failed to miss any of my monthly visits with Hagrid. I'll be going down to his hut today for a quick visit and I try to decide which one of my animals I'd like to show him as I get dressed for the day.

Everyone was excited that it was Friday and my students had trouble focusing on my lesson. Granted, it was a bit of a boring lesson, Flobberworms aren't all that exciting. So I cut them a little slack since even I'm pretty excited for a relaxing weekend and to see Hagrid after classes.

So classes come and go and I quickly go up to the castle to grab the creature I'd like to show him and make my way back out to his hut. I knock on the door as my Firedrake nibbles at my fingers.

Hagrid opens the door and a not very visible smile forms under that large beard of his. "Y/n! Come in, come in!" He steps aside and I enter his home, a place I've always been fond of. The smell of old firewood and animals has always been a form of comfort. "Ouch." I mutter as my Firedrake, Helena, bites at my fingers.

"How 'as teachin' been treatin' ya'?" He asks while I sit down at the table and he lumbers over to the teapot on the fire. "As much as I love it, I could really use a four day long nap."

He chuckles. "You'll get used t'it. Kettleburn is practically as old as Professor Dumbledore and that man never ran out o' energy!" He sits down and starts to pour tea into our mugs.

"Now watcha got there?" My hands are still cupped over my Firedrake and I smile at Hagrid, slightly opening my fingers to let Helena's head poke through. "I reckon you've already seen a Firedrake before, but here's mine anyways."

I open my hands fully and she plops out of them onto the table, stretching her wings and snapping her tail where sparks fly off.

Hagrid stares at her, amazed. "As a matter o' fact, I haven't! I've always wanted to see one since they're almos' like lil' dragons!" He says and extends a very large finger towards Helena, who swiftly bites him, his calloused finger taking no damage. He laughs heartily at her bite-sized ferociousness.

"She's pretty feisty, lucky that they're small." I say as she shoots more sparks from her tail that singe the table. "Lil' tyke ain't she?" He laughs out and a spark flies into his beard which he quickly pats away. "Have I ever told ya' I've always wanted a dragon?" He asks me while still transfixed on Helena.

"Only about a million times." I laugh. "Could've sworn you've had one at one point?" He shakes his head. "I wish! One day I'll get my hands on one, I don' care much for the breed, long as 'is a dragon."

Helena stretches out her body, getting ready to fly into the air. She shoots off the table and glides around the room carefully, letting off a few harmless sparks here and there.

Hagrid suddenly gasps. "I almos' forgot!" He says and stands up from the table, ducking carefully under Helena who flies dangerously close to his head. I cringe watching her fly around his fully wooden hut, letting off sparks.

I watch as Hagrid rummages around near the fireplace and makes his way back to the table with something in his hand. He sits down, his face cheerful. "Yer birthday is Sunday, righ'? I thought I may as well give this to ya' early." He says and hands me a small gift wrapped in old Daily Prophet clippings and some cotton thread.

That's right, my birthday is on Sunday... November 8th. I smile widely at the gift. "Thank you!" I say and pocket the gift. "I'll open it later. Truthfully, I forgot my birthday was coming up! Tends to slip your mind when you're alone with magical creatures in rural parts of Alaska. Haven't had a birthday wish, let alone a gift in a good few years." I chuckle out as Helena lands back on the table after thoroughly flying throughout the hut.

"Good thing I was here to remind ya' then, I hope you'll like the gift. How ol' are ya' gonna be again?" He asks. "Thirty one if I'm not mistaken, I nearly forgot myself." We laugh.

"Same age as Professor Snape then." He adds, then he pauses for a moment, staring thoughtfully at Helena and extending another finger to her, which she once again bites. "You and Professor Snape were close as students weren't ya'? Think he'll 'member?" I 'pft' at his question.

"Most likely not. It has been a very long time. We barely know, much less remember much about each other. Plus, we really haven't talked much at all the past few months." I say, obviously a bit disheartened while looking down at my tea.

He huffs. "Well do ya' 'member his birthday?" He asks. I look at him through my brow, my lips pursing. "...January 9th. Of course I remember..." He takes a gulp of his tea. "Then surely he'll 'member yers! I'm not exactly fond of the man but I can admit he's one o' the smartest people in this school." I shrug.

"He may be smart, doesn't necessarily mean he'll care to remember, or even care at all. But it's all right, I guess we've just drifted apart." Which is a bit of an understatement. There's more to it than just 'drifting apart'.

As Hagrid is about to say something, we look down to the sound of Helena taking a deep breath and sneezing dramatically, sparks flying off her tail in all directions. Hagrid nearly keeled over from how cute it was.

The rest of my visit went on well and I left his hut in good spirits, luckily never mentioning Severus again.

It was late in the evening while we headed back to the castle, Helena flying around my head as I know she wouldn't go off too far, especially in this colder weather. I take the gift Hagrid had given me out of my pocket and carefully examine it. Even though it's wrapped in newspaper, it's wrapped carefully and precisely. I smile at it. I almost don't want to have to open it later, it's cute.

I make my way into the castle and up the moving staircases, with Helena following close behind trying to snap at my head. Suddenly, it feels like my right arm is dipped in frozen lake water and the gift is snatched from my hand.

I whirl around, already annoyed. "Peeves..." I demand slowly. He stares at my gift while floating obnoxiously in the air. "How cute. Is this for meee?" I glare at him.

"Hand it over now. Do you want me to get the Bloody Baron?" He, of course, doesn't give it back. "Aw, is our ickle Professor cross with me?" My eyes glance over to my gift in his hand, I have no idea what it is and if it's fragile. The one thing I didn't miss about Hogwarts was Peeves, I'd kill him if I could.

I turn to a portrait next to me who has been watching the scene unfold nervously. "Could you please help fetch the Bloody Baron for me?" He nods and walks off from his canvas. "Oh alright!" Peeves gets a snarky look in his misty eye. "Go and get it then!" He yells before throwing the gift over the stair banister.

I stare over the banister in shock, my gift no longer in sight. "PEEVES!" I scream at him and he flies away giggling his nasty laugh. I could just explode from anger.

Helena lands on my shoulder and carefully nips at my face, I glance at her. "Well shit, so much for a peaceful weekend." I say silently and sigh. "Want to help me look for it? I really hope it's not broken." I begin to descend the stairs, looking carefully for my gift at every step and staircase with Helena flying around.

I'm scouring a certain staircase on my hands and knees when I hear a voice, making me jump and my stomach churn. "What's happened?" He asks and I look up at Severus, who stares at me with a confused look. And here I am, on my hands and knees awkwardly crawling up and down stairs.

How do I keep embarrassing myself in front of him?